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STAT+: NIH director calls Trump’s anti-DEI orders ‘misunderstood,’ downplays reorganization plans
The NIH director asserted the agency remains committed to research that advances the health of minorities, despite Trump's anti-DEI orders
National Institutes of Health director Jay Bhattacharya on Monday asserted that the agency remains committed to research that advances the health of minorities — despite the Trump administration’s sharp focus on rolling back programs dealing with diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bhattacharya said that President Trump’s executive orders, which state that DEI programs are illegal and discriminatory and direct federal agencies to terminate any of their own such programs, are “misunderstood.”
“I don’t think that [the orders are] aimed at stopping fundamental research that advances the health and wellbeing of minority populations. I wouldn’t have accepted this job if that was the case,” he said. “I think that the health and wellbeing of minority populations, as well as every American, are a central focus of the NIH and will continue to be under my watch.”
